First fish died! When can I get another?

[Scubagirl12]

I just couldn't be patient and got a fish at lfs that is not the best... but the only one around for at least an hour. I got a blue/green chromis for my 12g nano. He seemed to acclimate ok but the second day I could not find him. I waited a while and got worried. So I searched and found him in the last place I would want to find him... my circulation pump good think I started with a $6 fish!
So I got him out and added a very porous sponge to the intake so that the next fish will not be so unfortunate. I did a water change and just checked my parameters:

78º
1.022 SP
pH 8.4
Ammonia 0
Nitrite had no color so I assume its 0
Nitrates around 20
Alkalinity 2.75 mEq/L

The problem is that I am traveling to a great lfs store (at my home, I am in college, and dont go home too much) and was planning on upgrading my cleaner crew, getting a couple pieces of coral (like a kenya tree, ricordea, shrooms, brain, xenia, etc), and possibly another fish. But now after this one died, do I need to wait longer than 3-4 days to add new livestock? I currently have zoas, feather dusters, and some snails.

 

[saltyfever]

I am new to saltwater tanks, and I'm not saying this advice is 100 percent true, but my friend who has had a saltwater tank wanted a brain coral and the lfs told her not to get one until her tank was matured. They said that her tank wasn't ready for it.

 

[MACATUA]

If the tank is that fresh, may wanna wait a few weeks on coral, maybe some simple polyps or shrooms to start if you do. If you think the fish just got stuck in the pump, you should be ok to add another fish when you go home.

 

[BillyZ]

Saltyfever is right. I would wait a good while before getting any corals. Your tank should have a chance to mature and stabalize as well as you getting accustomed to what's required to keep the levels corals will need and keep them stable.

For fish livestock, as long as you removed the dead fish, you shouldn't have to wait to replace him. The advice on waiting to add live stock is to not add too many at once. Each fish you add will increase the bio-load on the tank and the bacteria to process that load needs time to adjust up to the new levels. But with a nano, you shouldn't have more than one or two fish anyway so you should be fine. IMO.

Good luck!

 

[Hara]

I would recommend doing a large water change while nothing is in the tank in order to get those nitrates down.

 

[Lance M.]

You'll probably want to do another water change and get the nitrates down.

Was the chromis healthy to begin with? Sounds like it wasnt strong enough to overcome the intake and died.

What lighting did you put over your tank? I forgot from your last thread. Ricordea likes a moderate amount of light. I can't keep Ricordea yuma alive in my 10 gallon tank with 3.2 wpg. But I have Ricordea floridia and yuma in my 20 with 6.5 wpg. I've never had a brain coral... yet.... Kenya trees can take low light and most shrooms and xenia/anthelia.

 

[melosu58]

I second the PWC and would wait a while for corals for your tank to mature.